Book excerpt: Linda Cheryl Conley-McCray was shocked when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, because she knew of no one in her family that had this disease. She had previously worked as a public safety officer for a large urban school system for over fifteen years. When doctors asked about her family's medical history, she could not answer all of their questions. When she could no longer button her clothes or grasp a pencil, Conley-McCray knew she must learn more about this disease to help her overcome it. She became adept at asking questions of her doctors, listing her ailments and medications, documenting her family's medical history to the best of her ability, and sharing this recorded information with her family. She encourages everyone to investigate, record, and share family medical history. Possessing your family's current, documented health history provides a powerful tool for your children and grandchildren, supplying them with information concerning what ailments run in the family. This will give them a better chance to change things about their health. The Family Medical History Journal simplifies the task of collecting family medical history and provides a valuable tool for keeping this important information.